How many times have you wished you had a crystal ball to see how you would age? Life holds many mysteries, and no one knows exactly how their lives will play out as they age. People feel better when they actively take part in managing their mental and physical health because it gives them some control over the aging process. There are many ways to do this — following are a few good bets.

Add vitamin D supplements to your diet to possibly helping slow aging. There is not a consensus yet on the research that shows it's affect. However, vitamin D has other benefits like helping our immune systems, helping the absorption of calcium and others that you might as well add it in even if the jury is still out on the aging affects.

Many people attribute living to a ripe old age to having a good sense of humor! Life can get you down, but if you can laugh about it, you stand a good chance of living longer. Laughter is healthy. It increases oxygen intake and makes you feel happy!

Did you know that high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes are risk factors for dementia? These risks become more severe due to smoking, lack of exercise and high cholesterol. As we age, it becomes increasingly important to control these disorders in order to maintain good mental health as aging progresses.

Exercise can improve the aging process. As we get older, our muscle mass naturally declines, making everyday activities more difficult and reducing the number of calories we burn. While aerobic exercise helps maintain muscle mass and control weight, resistance exercise has the added benefit of helping maintain bone mass.

Be sure to protect your skin from the sun. Getting a bit of sun each day can be very beneficial but be sure to wear sunscreen while you do it. Overexposure can lead to wrinkles and even skin cancer. Taking care of your skin is vital to living a long and healthy youthful life.

Drink eight or more glasses of water every single day. Water does a lot of things that help your body combat the signs of aging. It makes your skin look healthier, it removes toxins from your system and it brings important nutrients to the cells in your body. Make sure you have enough water in your diet, you will feel better for it.

Successfully maintaining your attitude and health as you age does not need to be difficult or time consuming. Just follow these steps, and be on the lookout for other ways to increase your odds of living to a ripe, old age and loving every minute of it. Growing older might just become the most rewarding phase of your life.